Noctilucent Cloud Detection with the Rayleigh Lidar at Poker Flat Research Range

Physics

Scientific paper

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0300 Atmospheric Composition And Structure

Scientific paper

Rayleigh lidar measurements were made on two nights in August 2001 at Poker Flat Research Range (PFRR), Alaska (65 N, 147 W) in which noctilucent clouds (NLCs) were observed. The lidar employs an Nd:YAG laser and a 60 cm Newtonian telescope. On the night of August 16-17, a weak echo was detected, and a stronger echo was detected on the night of August 20-21. The data sets were binned and normalized, and temperatures were calculated based on the assumption of an atmosphere in hydrostatic equilibrium. The density profiles did not seem to be smooth and evidence for internal waves existed on both days. To investigate this, cubic spline interpolations were fit to the Rayleigh profiles to create model density profiles, and relative density fluctuation profiles were then examined. Wave-like disturbances seemed to exist on both nights, exponentially increasing in amplitude with height. These seem to match very well with the expected rate for internal waves. The wave harmonics were extrapolated upwards to the altitudes where the NLCs were observed. The location of the NLCs seems to correspond to minima in the temperature profiles. This supports the view that internal waves can influence the formation of NLCs by creating regions colder than the ambient atmosphere in which water can freeze into ice. In addition, an HF radar was utilized during the summer of 2001 at the HIPAS Observatory to detect polar summer mesospheric echoes near local noon. PMSE was observed on the 21st of August at about the same altitude as the NLC was detected.

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